“The Secrets He Kept” by Jackie Walsh is a fast paced psychological thriller that I throughly enjoyed.
The chapters are short, yet full of information leading to the next one.
There are many hidden secrets in this book causing the reader to discover them one by one.
Highly recommended.

Sally is a hairdresser who has three children with her husband Tom. Amber is fifteen and the twins three. We know something has gone on in the past but not what which means that Sally is the main breadwinner and despite wanting to spend more time with her family, she is forced to keep the wolf from the door- something she blames Tom for.. One day at work, a walk in customer shows Sally a picture of her boyfriend with his father- a man who very much looks like Tom in a shirt she remembers buying with him. Has Tom had another child just before they met and why is he suddenly being so secretive all of a sudden? Sally is finding more questions than answers. This is one that has twists and turns along the way. When Sally thinks things can’t get any worse than they already area- of course there is something else just around the corner. One part wasn’t answered (the cyclist-I’m not giving anything away) and in some ways we never got to know the real Tom as most of the book is focussed on Sally. I enjoyed this but didn't quite get that sense of anticipation as I did when reading Familiar Strangers (One of Jackie’s other books). That said it that kept me within its pages and was a fast paced, different, interesting read.
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The Secrets He Kept by Jackie Walsh is a fast-paced read that kept me fully engaged from beginning to end. This one will have you guessing until the very final page.

Sally is a wife and mother who is working as a hairdresser in order to pay off her husband's debts. One day, a client unwittingly blows Sally's world apart by revealing a photo of her boyfriend's father, a man who happens to also be Sally's husband. This is only the beginning of the nightmare and Sally must question just how well she really knows her spouse, the man with whom she has shared so much of her life. Sally is certainly an empathetic character who fights to keep her family together in the face of one domestic crisis after another, while husband Tom makes a compelling case for remaining forever single. This is a riveting and twisty tale that will have you racing to get to the bottom of it all.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hera Books for this ARC.

Wow.

I love this book, i devoured it in three sittings. With this story is felt like I was with sally every step of the way. I admire the strong women the author created.
It's fast paced and keeps to plot. If your looking for intriguing characters, a strongoing leading female character this is the book for you.


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I read this book in a day as I was totally involved in the nightmare that Sally found herself in. A normal wife, mum and hairdresser dealing with the ups and downs of family life whilst coming to terms with the financial mess her husband has left them in. She is stoically supportive until it is revealed that husband has a secret son... The story is full of twists and turns and kept me hooked throughout- even when I was questioning why such a strong character put up with her flaky spouse - I never felt that they were very much in love, more settled with domestic ties. A good read that will have you flying through the chapters to see how it will all unravel. Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to immerse myself in the perfect Sunday read.

Sally had been working as a hair stylist for a long time. At 37, she has twins (3 years old) and a daughter, Amber, 15y years old. Sally's husband works to recoup money from a bad deal.

While at work, a 16 year old walk-in customer, Charlie, comes in,for a special hairdo for a party. Sally is assigned to her. The two get to chatting and Charlie shows Sally pics of her boyfriend. That is just the beginning!!!

Fantastic read! Great plot that grabs you from the very beginning. A masterful story that keeps you endlessly intrigued.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Many Thanks to Hera Books and NetGalley for a wonderful read!

This story was definitely a gripping one. From the beginning, there isn't really a break from the fast paced action.
When you live with someone for 16 years and have children together, get through a lot of ups and downs in life, you expect to know the other person and don't doubt him for anything.
A chance encounter or not , reveals that actually Tom has lived a double life and hide it all along.
I liked how Sally was portrayed in the story and it's understandable why she chooses to give him credit and believe his lies .
What I didn't liked though, where all the lies that Tom kept telling her, all the hiding and odd behaviour. They never sat down to talk like adults as it's expected for a married couple and at times it looked like he wasn't worth her time at all. They didn't act like a caring couple towards each other, they just felt like two strangers living in the same bed but with no attraction, no real life together.
Overall,the book it's great but with some unnecessary twists in my opinion.
It's gripping, holds your attention all the way throughout the story and many people will definitely enjoy it.

What a fabulous read loved all the twists and turns kept me guessing! I really enjoyed this read it in one sitting!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I haven’t heard of or read any of Jackie Walsh’s books before this one. I liked the cover on the book and felt the story started off well and grabbed my attention. It is a gripping psychological thriller that had quite a few twists and turns in the story, and is told mostly through Sally’s eyes as she finds out her husband Tom has another child a year older than their own daughter, and whose mother is found murdered. Sally’s feelings, emotions and anger after finding out his secret are written really well and you can’t help but have empathy for her. The Police question Tom during the murder investigation and Sally realises her husband has more secrets he’s kept from her as the book progresses. I liked the way the book was wrote and devoured it in less than a day, it was hard to put down as I kept wanting to know what was coming next. Would recommend.

A good solid book. I read this one in one sitting on thus rainy day. The characters are all believable. Thanks for approving me for this book.


Thanks to the publisher and net galley for an early release of this book.

One picture opens up a whole book of secrets. Just one. Wife, mom, and hairstylist Sally is working one day when a young girl comes in for a style. She and Sally get into a conversation which results in young Charlie showing Sally a picture of her boyfriend and his father. Sally is speechless. The father in the photo is none other than her husband, Tom.
She eventually confronts Tom and he lies about it at first, saying he does not have a son. As the pages keep turning the lies unravel.
When the boy's mother is murdered, Sally is faced with the unimaginable, Tom's secret son must now move in with them and their teenaged daughter. Sally wants nothing to do with it. She knows absolutely nothing about this mysterious boy and she sure as heck doesn't want a strange teenager living in the same house as her teenage daughter. Then the twist...their daughter knew about Kenny almost the whole time! We also learn that she is the one who sent Charlie to the salon in the first place, she felt her mother had a right to know about the child Tom never told her about.
The ending is a little bit confusing however. I can't say why without giving away a major spoiler so I will not but it left me wondering "who..."

A great read, pact and twisty with solid characters. This is my first novel by this author and it won’t be my last!

What would you do if you found out your husband had a secret son and right after you find out about this child....his mother is murdered? Tom and Sally’s marriage has survived for 16 years with three kids. Until one day Sally is shown a picture of a 16 year old boy Kenny and his dad....Sally’s husband. Tom lies. When Kenny’s Mom is found dead in her home....Tom lies.

Thank you NetGalley, Hera Books and Jackie Walsh for an advanced copy of this book. This is my first book I’ve read from this author. I must say I was very intrigued by this book. I was sucked in from the very beginning. I hated Tom...then felt sorry for him...then hated him...then shocked at the very end. I literally couldn’t put this book down and I was on an emotional roller coaster feeling sad, mad and anxious. Sally is a lovable character and I wanted to hug her throughout the whole book because she was a rock trying to keep her family together. Overall a solid great read that I truly enjoyed! I will definitely be tracking down her first novel!!!

This as a brilliant read . I was hooked straight in from the first chapter and it really didn't let up . Fast paced and thrilling . When Sal who is a hairdresser is shown a picture by her client , her heart literally stops as with his arm round a boy who she doesn't know is her husband Tom . From this one photo spreads a whole tale that weaves in all different directions , when he finally admits to being this boy's father things get out of control quickly . There is a murder close to home , Sal still not over a recent betrayal by her husband starts to trust him less and less , her daughter is behaving strangely and some people in Sal's life obviously know more than they are letting on . Some great twists , my only disappointment was that it finished very abruptly . I would have liked a few more chapters tying things up . However still 5 stars .

Enjoyed this domestic thriller very much. The characters were well drawn and the story flowed seamlessly. Highly recommended.

I so enjoyed this book my 1st book buy this author and could not stop reading what a brilliant story Sal has 3 children 2 twin boys and a daughter she works very hard being a hairdresser one day a young girl comes in the shop and shows her a photo on her phone of her boyfriend and his dad but the dad is her husband David how this story comes together is so good saying no more but so recommend a must read

The Secrets He Kept by Jackie Walsh is just FULL OF SUSPENSE.

Imagine learning that your husband not only has another family but add to that a murder and you would not be comfortable sleeping next to your husband at night anymore. Who is telling the truth? What can you believe?

You know everything about your husband. Don’t you? He loves you. He loves your children. He’d never put his family in danger. One of these is a lie.

It started like any other day at the hairdressers where Sally works as a stylist… until her first client innocently shows her a family photograph; a photograph that causes Sally to collapse in shock.

In one moment, Sally discovers that Tom has been hiding an explosive secret – one that could tear apart the life they’ve built together. Faced with an impossible dilemma – search for the truth, or keep her contented life? – Sally is about to discover that even those closest to us have secrets… and that sometimes the truth is the last thing we want to hear.

There is a lot of suspense in this book and if you love to stay up late reading because you simply have to know what is going to happen next, then this is the perfect book for you!

Coming November 6, order here.

Thank you Net Galley and Hera Books for an early copy of this book. This book was very good BUT the husband lied toooooo many times, every chapter was another lie, it got annoying after awhile. The ending was very good, I totally didn't know who was the culprit and I was shocked. I would recommend this book to others.

This book was fast paced. Hard to put down. It flowed well and it was very well written. It caught hold of me and had me hooked from the start . I was literally on the edge of my seat reading this book.

A brilliant roller coaster of a read from Jackie, full of twists and turns and I was gripped from the very first page, just my type of book and I particularly liked the short chapters which left you wondering.

The characters were so well described, all interesting in their own way and each with a story to tell. I particularly liked the ending of this book when 'it all came together'. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, well done Jackie, I hope to read more from you in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hera Books for giving me the opportunity to read this brilliant book.

The Secrets He Kept is a great psychological thriller that keeps you guessing virtually until the last page.Sally is married to Tom and all is well in her world until while at work in the salon a customer shows her a photo of her boyfriend and stood with him is her husband ! how can this be right ? Tom has never mentioned to Sally that he may have another son.But it soon becomes clear to Sally that she must find out the truth just for her own sanity,but what follows may tear her life apart along with her families lives also,it is the first book i have read from Jackie Walsh and i was impressed with the whole story which grabbed me from the first page and didn't let go,highly recommended a great 4 star read.

I loved, loved this book. It was engaging from the first page and kept me up half the night. I simply had toknow how it would end.

Wow what a great book! Jackie Walsh is a new author for me but one that I will definitely read more from!
The secrets he kept is an engaging psychological thriller that will have you gripped from start to finish so much so that you really don’t want to stop reading!
Sally and Tom are happily married with three children when there life is suddenly changed beyond all recognition! How well do you know the person you have spent 16 years living with? What secrets has he been keeping from you? Sally finds out her husband has a secret son that she knows nothing about and shortly afterwards the boys mother is murdered, this sets Tom and sally onto an emotional, fraught journey with many repurcussions, the reader is drawn into their family dynamics and the story flows seamlessly from start to finish with an unexpected ending! A great read that I will highly recommend thank you net galley for this early read!

Sally, a 37 year old hairdresser and mother of three, has spent the last seventeen years madly in love with her husband Tom. It isn't until a client sits down in Sally's chair that she begins to realize that Tom may not be the perfect husband she thought he was.

This book started off as a solid two for me but the deeper I got into the never ending drama surrounding Sally's life I found myself unable to stop reading. Yes, the amount of problems that surfaced did feel a little ridiculous, but I was thoroughly entertained! I soon began feeling like this would be a four star rating for me until... the ending. I was not a fan of the ending. The style it was written in was different compared to a lot of others I've read recently, but it just wasn't as satisfying after I'd spent the entire book throwing out off the wall theories and waiting for an unbelievable plot twist.

I can honestly say while I sympathized with Sally, I didn't like her. I couldn't stand Tom. I know she was only a teenager, but I wasn't particularly fond of their daughter Amber either. Despite not liking the majority of the cast, I thought that Jackie Walsh's writing at times was extremely humorous and kept the story afloat for me. I've never read anything else by Jackie Walsh before The Secrets He Kept but I think I'll give her another try in the future.

All in all, I have to give this book 3.5 out of 5.

‘One of those books you can read on the tube, at night or when have a spare 10 minutes, come back to and fall straight back in’

Sally is cutting a clients hair when the girl shows her a picture, she says a family picture, on the picture is a teenage boy, the girl says ‘that’s his dad’ pointing at the man standing next to him with his arm round the lad
Sally looks
And looks again
The man is Tom, her husband
And to her knowledge the only children he has are the 3 he has with her
When she come round from fainting the girl has gone...
Intrigued? So was I, it was a brilliant start to the book and the book then continued in the same exciting style with lies being uncovered, secrets coming to the fore and Sally receiving what seems like a ‘twice a day’ shock to make her life even more unpredictable than it was the day before
I liked Sally with her dark humour thoughts to the situation that was unfolding and her sometimes ‘as honest as we all would be but probably wouldn’t say’ thinking, she was no ‘storming heroine’ just Sally and she wanted normality back, probably one of the unfakest ( if thats a word ) characters read lately in a book
The story progressed really well and concluded suitably shockingly, if not a tad quickly
Good all round story, one of those you look forward to reading when you cant read in one sitting and a welcome casual, chatty style of writing
10/10
5 Stars

A fast paced twisty domestic thriller with a sympathetic and relatable main character.

Sally works as a hairdresser to support her family after her husband got them into financial troubles.
One day a client shows her a picture and Sally's world comes crumbling.
Suddenly she realizes that her husband had a secret, and she painfully realizes that she doesn't really know the man she shared most of her life with. Sally has to fight for her family while unraveling her husband's secrets and lies.

This is an engrossing read with a likable character and a host of thrilling twists and turns, enjoy!

Thanks Netgalley, the publisher and author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sally’s day begins like any other - breakfast for her husband Tom and three children, drop offs at school and day care and then on to her busy job as a hairstylist. Her normal day is upended when a client shows Sally a picture of her teenage boyfriend Kenny and his father who looks exactly like…Tom. While Sally grapples with Tom’s apparent deception and his continuing reluctance to share the complete truth, Kenny’s mother is murdered and Tom is the obvious suspect. As threats to her family’s safety mount, Sally fights to protect her children as she questions Tom’s loyalty. A frightening event leads to the shocking ending of this suspenseful, fast-paced thriller.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Hera Books and Jackie Walsh for this ARC.

What a great book. Would definitely recommend to it others I no. Great work will look out for this author again

The Secrets He Kept is a splendid thriller that will leave you guessing until the end.

Sally, a mother of three, is shocked that learn that her husband Tom may have another family. How well does she really know her husband? Does she want to uncover the truth and put her family at risk? What secrets, lies, and betrayals will she dig up?

I really enjoyed Walsh’s newest book. I think she did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life. I found The Secrets He Kept to be an easy, fast paced read.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves psychological thrillers.

Thank you, Net Galley, for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, this was one gripping read!

Right from the start the author had my full attention. I couldn’t imagine anything worse than seeing an image that could potentially destroy your whole world. I really felt for Sally and have to say she was more understanding than I would have been.

This is a story packed to the brim of lies and secrets. Some of those secrets though, woah! It was like watching your favourite soap as everything started unravelling. I couldn’t get enough. A few times I had to stop myself from shouting out as I was so shocked by what I was reading. There was one revelation in particular that had me picking my jaw up off the floor.

The Secrets He Kept will definitely get the adrenaline going. I could feel my heart racing the nearer to the end I got. Even well after I finished it, it was still pounding. A roller coaster of a read that thrills and excites.

The Secrets He Kept was a very compelling thriller. It was easy to finish, and I was eager to know the ending from the beginning.

Sally and Tom lead a seemingly normal life, until Sally is shown a picture of a boy and his father...who is her husband. Sally second guesses her marriage and entire family life. The discovery of a secret son unravels her mental state and family life, revealing nasty secrets that were meant to stay hidden.

The protagonists in many thrillers wait before confronting the husband/friend/lover etc. but I appreciated that Jackie Walsh has Sally confront Tom right away. It seems as though what most betrayed people would do, and makes Sally more realistic and relatable. It was not easy to figure out who was the perpetrator was, and I was suspicious of each character at some point. I would have liked a little more monologue from Kenny to explain his thoughts and give him some character depth.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy psychological thrillers.

The Secrets He Kept is the first book I have read from Jackie Walsh and I thoroughly enjoyed every chapter from start to end. The moment the first jaw-dropping bomb-shell landed in the first chapter, I was hooked.

The writing style is fabulous; best described as a vivid depiction of a wife unravelling the web of deceit caused by her husband. Some characters I loved, while others had me annoyed, but for all the right reasons because I felt I was on a journey with both Sally and Tom who lead the way in two totally different directions. Clever cliff-hangers, a sprinkling of clues in all the right places and a twist you couldn't guess even if you tried.

A gripping, hard-hitting read that leaves you desperate for more. I can't wait to read more this author in future.

A good creepy story. I really enjoyed this. Twisted and dark. I’d highly
Recommended this to everyone

This is a great book!! The main character is so very realistic. A typical wife and mom. She is a hair dresser and one day one of her customers showed her a picture of her boyfriend and his dad. Everything goes crazy from here. I read this in one setting. It moves really fast and I couldn't wait to find out what happened. The ending was a little bit of a let down only because the author didn't go into any detail about the outcome of what happened to Great book highly recommended!!

Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read this amazing book.

After reading a few books that I just couldn't get into, this had me gripped straight away.

The moment Sally sees a picture of her husband with a young boy,Kenny who apparently is his son, Sally's world 🌎 turns on its axis.

Determined to find the truth she confronts husband,Tom.

Tom says she's crazy. Then Kenny 's mum is murdered and the courts send Kenny to live with his father....Tom can't deny it any further.

Sally is left to pick up the pieces.

Great read, thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to review this book,this is my honest opinion

This story took off brilliantly and I was hooked and intrigued by the premise. Set in Ireland, Sally the mother of three discovers her husband Tom might have a son she doesn’t know about. Does Tom know, does the boy know.? We are off and running within a handful of of pages when suddenly there is a murder. While I loved Sallys’ dark humour it was frustrating to keep reading her say/think ‘well, I will ask that question (that could move the plot along) in the morning or when I’m not so confused’. It happened so often, I actually looked for it. Otherwise, it was a solid four stars, but so easily could have been five.

I was very kindly sent this book as an ARC from Netgalley, and really enjoyed it.
The author gets straight into the book of Sally finding out her partner of 16 years has a secret child. If I was in that situation, I’m not sure how I would feel.
One thing that kept me wanting to read more was all the little lies Tom kept telling Sally. Every time he told her that he was now telling the truth it made me want to read on to find out whether he was in fact telling the truth or telling more lies.
Halfway through there are a few twists and turns which I didn’t predict. One of the twists involving their young son Aaron explaining what he saw gave me chills – again I put myself in the position of it happening to me and my family.
I didn’t warm to Sally very much – I found her quite self-centred. In the situation Tom had to try and keep his family happy but also support another child who’s going through something hard for a 16-year-old. Sally doesn’t very often see Tom’s side of things although I got the feeling that the author had created Sally to not be a very likeable character.
My only criticism of the book is I had to reread the last chapter a couple of times to actually understand who had done it.

I was intrigued by this book from the start and was loathe to put it down.
Sally has a good and trusting marriage and happy family life until her husband starts to lose her trust. Her discoveries about the lies her family tell her, and her determination to keep them safe at all costs from the mounting danger she perceives them to be in is totally immersive and thrilling. Unable to fully trust Tom, her husband, I could empathise with her sense of foreboding and isolation as she tries to uncover the truth. A totally believable nightmare situation, with suspicion constantly changing as the secrets and lies unfold. Whilst the ending wasn't a total shock, it was a riveting read to get there and the conclusion was shocking thought provoking. A highly recommended and enjoyable read which left me wanting to read more of Jackie Walsh's novels. My thanks to Hera Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed the building tension, I was convinced Tom was a total liar and probably guilty but ...... then it rocked up another level and Tom was not involved. So now I am looking at other people. Was the neighbour too helpful, what about her dad, there is lots to follow and even more to absorb.
My only complaint it ended to quickly and was wrapped up a little to neatly for me.

Great thriller....filled with drama, suspense, action, and lots of mystery.
Sally and Tom have a great marriage, with good and bad times like most everyone else. Out of the blue Sally discovers that Tom has a 16 year old son, Kenny, whose mother was just murdered in their home. As more and more information comes to light, Sally realizes just how many people are keeping secrets from her, and her husband's may not be the worst!
This book had tons of twists and turns and kept me guessing up until the last page. Great read!
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Sally has a wonderful husband Tom and 3 children, Amber her sometimes obnoxious teen, and 2 little boys Cian and Aaron. Sally works as a hairstylist and everything in her life is running smoothly, that is, until the day one of her clients shows her a picture that will completely turn Sally's life upside down.
Just how well do you know your husband. Sally slowly learns things about Tom that she never dreams possible and their lives will never be the same again.
A great book, a fast read and interesting to the end.

I really enjoyed this book, it gripped from the first pages and was hard to put down.
I read the author’s book Familiar Strangers and she just gets better I think.
Recommended read.

I enjoyed this book. The author catches your attention right from the start when Sal who is a hairdresser is shown a picture of her. Clients boyfriend with his Dad. Trouble is the person she says is his Dad happens to be Sal's husband Tom!

From then onwards Sal tries to find out what is going on, picking through all the lies and betrayals she never knew existed. Meantime carrying on her role as a working mum to their teenage girl and 3 year old twins.

Sally was far too patient and caring in my opinion.. Tom was weak and told lies instead of dealing with reality. A few red herrings along the way made this very readable. Having said that I am not sure that this is a psychological thriller.

Thanks to Netgalley, Hera Books and the author for the opportunity to read this advance copy.

How many lies does it take before you stop believing everything someone tells you? That is the question that you will ask yourself as you read this story. The main character, Sally, is well written though I would have to say it is hard for me to believe that someone would be as forgiving and naive as she was in this story. The plot is interesting and has some twists and turns to it though a bit unbelievable with regards to the personality given to the main character. I am interested in reading more books by this author.

This was a fantastic game!!

A game?

But you read a book!!

I agree.

It was a book which played a game with me. The author's writing was so coated in mystery that my mind kept screaming - what is she trying to tell me? What is she hiding from me? The author Jackie Walsh kept me second guessing the whole time I read the story. I tried to decipher the hidden suspense. But alas, I didn't succeed. Only at the very end could I try to perhaps come to the right guess. Whew!

The story was pretty much simple, but made so convoluted that I had to scream at the characters to react... Show me the truth... Confront him.... What are you doing?... Why are you doing this?... Sal was a hairdresser and her husband was Tom. One day, a client showed a pic on her phone of boyfriend and his father. The father was Tom, Sal's husband. Then cane the story of lies and games, of truth and lies, of fake and reality. Add a murder too and you have a suspenseful mystery.

Innocence was never brilliantly played as this author did with her characters. I could not make out who was innocent and who was guilty. They were unlikable equally with hints of vulnerability. Not all of us are brave enough to rock a comfortable boat. I wanted Sal to confront her louse of a husband. I think I swore at that husband more times I could count.

It was quite a heart wrenching book!!

What? Was it emotional?

No no it was a suspense... All my swear words were wrenched from my heart at the husband and I was drained out at the end.

Whew!! 😂 😂 😂

A compulsively readable thriller that is perfect for fans of B A Paris and Liane Moriarty, The Secrets He Kept is a spine tingling tale of lies and deception that is sure to captivate and thrill readers and have them questioning how truly they know the people around them.

Sally and Tom have always had a rock-solid marriage. Their relationship is one most people would envy as they seem blissfully happy. They know everything about each other and trust one another implicitly. They have a beautiful family and the bonds that unite them seem to get stronger by the day. But Sally’s perfect marital happiness is set to shatter one day at work when her first client shows her a family photograph and she ends up collapsing in shock after spotting a very familiar figure in the picture.

In a split second, Sally realises that she is married to a perfect stranger. Who is the man she has married? What is the man she has shared her life, her bed and her body with hiding from her? Why has he betrayed her trust and what is she going to do next? Is Sally going to confront Tom and throw him out of her house and her life? Or is she so determined to keep her happy life that she will stay silent and bury the truth at all costs?

Sally may try to run and hide from what is really going on with her marriage, but she soon realises that she has absolutely nowhere to hide. When danger comes knocking on her door, who can Sally trust and turn to? The only thing she knows for sure is that she needs to keep her husband at arm’s length – but that proves to be easier said than done.

The Secrets He Kept is a book that will get under your skin and which you will keep thinking about long after you’ve turned the last page. Jackie Walsh knows how to keep her readers on edge and with The Secrets He Kept, she has penned a captivating thriller that is sinister and terrifying because what her characters are going through could easily happen to you and me.

Dark, menacing and twisted, The Secrets He Kept is another phenomenal thriller from fast rising star Jackie Walsh.

I love a plot full of unexpected twists and turns and this novel completely satisfied my need. However, the nature of it makes it one of novels that is difficult to go into without ruining the reading experience.

A normal day turns into the stuff of nightmares for Sally when a client shows a family picture to her. The woman's husband is actually Sally's husband. Sally faints in shock and when she comes around the woman is gone. So begins Sally's journey to discover the truth.

The more Sally discovers, the deeper down the rabbit hole she gets and her husband is not the only one keeping secrets.

The plot is really well paced and hooks the reader in, making it impossible to put down. It's one of those books where you intend on reading a chapter the "one more page" leads to the end.

I loved Sally's character. She's written as a normal everyday woman who just wants her family life back to normal - a character many of us can relate to. As someone who has has a very dry, often inappropriate sense of humour I found her so easy to relate to.

This is a fabulous thriller that moves at an exciting and heart-stopping pace.

Sally Cooper thought her husband had dropped the biggest possible bombshell on their marriage when he admitted to her that he had blown all her savings on an investment opportunity which failed quite spectacularly, scuppering her dream of owning her own hairdressing salon, forcing her to work all the hours she could in someone else's salon. It is whilst working in there that a customer shows her a photograph which puts her financial issues in their place and completely rocks the foundation of her marriage to Tom. A photograph which suggests her husband has a teenage son and a secret life which he has told Sally nothing about.
After much deliberation Sal confronts Tom about the possibility of the existence of the child in the photograph, but his reaction does little to calm her fears or explain anything. Tom's behaviour changes in that instant as does the whole pace of Sal's life. Yes, things were hectic before as she worked crazy hours to try to keep a roof over their heads and the bills paid - not to mention keeping up with their daughter's demands for the latest fashion and make up trends - but throw in a lack of sleep and an overactive imagination due to the fact that Sal knows her husband is keeping things from her and Sal is struggling to cope. Then a local woman is found murdered in a street not too far away from theirs, leading to the police on their doorstep.
I could totally understand Sal's torment in this book: she wants to believe her husband but the way he is acting and the facts the police are giving her are saying something different completely. Why would he lie now about the existence of the boy in the photograph? Does anyone else know? And why are the police knocking on their door in particular? She's a strong character and I admired the way she handled herself in some really tricky situations along the way but there's a limit to every person's tolerance.
I particularly liked the character of Sally & Tom's daughter, Amber; typical of many teenagers she has plenty of sarcastic lines in the book, temper tantrums and sulks, but you can see that underneath it all she's a good kid. As is often the case Amber channels most of her anger and angst towards her mum as it's she who has the "bad cop" role when it comes to parenting. While the adults have clearly tried to keep a lot of their "grown up" issues away from her she's far more astute than they realise. Dad Tom I could quite happily have strangled myself on more than one occasion and by the end of the book it appeared that maybe the boy in the photograph is more like his dad than anyone realised. After all, it's not just adults who can keep a secret is it?

#TheSecretsHeKept #NetGalley
Engrossing till the end.
He loves you
He loves your children
He’d never put his family in danger
One of these is a lie.
What happened next? Read this amazing suspense thriller to know more about this.
A good read.

Sally, a hairdresser, is doing a young girl's hair. When the girl shows her a picture that has Sally's world crumbling around her. You won't want to stop reading this thrilling book. Secret after secret, lie after lie, who is telling the truth and who is not? There are enough twists to keep this book rolling right through to the end and keep you guessing the whole time. The author did a great job with the characters, they weren't picture perfect, they had their flaws, their doubts, and that makes them relatable. I highly recommend this book if you like a psychological thriller to keep you up past your bed time.

Thank you Netgalley for the free digital copy!

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Gripping read! Full of secrets, lies and twists! Kept me gripping my tablet harder and harder oh my goodness. Highly recommend it! 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

This book grabs the reader and refuses to let them go, even after the last page! The suspense and well developed characters make this a must read.

The Secrets He Kept
by Jackie Walsh

Sally: mother, wife and hairdresser
Tom: her husband
Cian & Tom: twin sons of Sally & Tom
Amber: 15 year old daughter of Sally & Tom
Charlie: The sharer of a photo that upturns everyone’s lives

Sally had no idea that a photo on a phone would set in motion the search for information that had been hidden from her. As each little piece of information is uncovered I believe she was feeling more and more on the outside of what was happening. Everyone seems to have had secrets and been telling lies.

This is a psychologically twisty tale that has a prologue that indicates a murder took place but who was killed is not evident till around page 100 and then who is she and how does she relate to the story and most important of all...who killed her and why? Finding out who did it was a bit of a surprise so I won’t give that away. I will say that I did want to know so kept reading and sometimes skimmed to find out how it would end.

What I liked:
* Not knowing right away who was killed and who the killer was
* The slow unveiling
* The eventual knowing
* Cian and Aaron
* the threads being woven together

What left me unsettled:
* The lying
* The secrets
* The ending – though it kind of had to end as it did
* Wondering how the pieces would be picked up by those that remained at the end of the book

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley, Hera and BOTBS for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

Thank you to Sarah from Books on the Brightside publicity and the publisher for my spot on the blog tour and the arc of the book. My review is unbiased and honest. Books in the Psychological Thriller genre are my absolute favourite and the secrets he kept was an instalove affair with the cover, its intriguing and atmospheric and it didn’t disappoint.

How can I put into words just how this book made me feel? Well the only way is, Alice falling into the rabbit hole. This analogy is I’m sure accurate for Sally who ends up having her world destroyed at its axis. At first glance Sally seems to have the perfect life but Sally is struggling in the aftermath of a revelation that leaves her reeling. The novel doesn’t do gentle, the tone is immediately felt, and its haunting. Sally is a hairdresser and during her usual uneventful day has a client that shows her the one thing that can decimate her perfect existence, a photograph of her husband and this girl’s boyfriend but also her husband’s son. He doesn’t have a son, does he? Sally can’t process, her mind is like mashed potato. Things don’t make sense…her husband wouldn’t keep secrets of this magnitude, would he? I really enjoy the spousal secret plotline, but this novel uses it in a powerful depiction.

Reading The secrets, he kept felt like being in a super busy train station. Everyone and everything was moving around me, but it was all a blur. My psyche knew that they were moving but I couldn’t bring myself to look up. It was engrossing. Why is Tom lying? Is he protecting something or someone? Does Sally really want to know, or is this secret better left buried? The chapters were dark and disturbing, and it just increased the secrecy and level of paranoia surrounding Sally. Jackie Walsh is a master of the creeping unrest, the suffocating feeling of complexity, as if everything isn’t as it should be. The lies stabbed at me, why couldn’t Tom share this secret with her. Could this discovery kill her also? Just what level of interference did Kenny have? I wanted to hug Sally, the impact of this upon her life was irreparable. Be fully prepared to shout at your book or throw it across the room like I did, seriously. Some of the turns that came up had me not believing what I was reading, poor Sally.

It’s been a while since I read a book that had me feeling anxious and worried for a character. I struggled with my feelings for Tom and Kenny, the way things played out made me dislike them for the way they treated Sally, it was incomprehensible. What could possible justify behaving like that towards someone that is on your team? There through the darkness and the light, your biggest advocate. The story was complex, and the final picture would manifest itself and leave Sally and myself reeling. The truth must have been festering within Sally’s mind, how, what, where and when must have turned into a poisoned wound within her mind. Pushing for the truth was bold, but what would she do when she got it?

The authors writing skill is transcendent. The character arcs were fulfilled and brought to fruition. She draws you in and the story delivers a hauntingly devastating tale of betrayal, secrecy and the pace will ensure you buckle your seatbelt because you are in for a hell of a ride!

Sally and Tom enjoy life with three children. Sally has to work part time to make ends meet and during one of her shifts is shown a photograph of her husband and an unknown teenage boy. Sally is told this is toms son.
Shortly after, the boys mother is found muordered.
Many secrets come to light as the hunt for the killer begins. All family members seem to harbour their own secrets, later compromising an abduction.
This book moves at a fast pace with a twist at the end I didn't see coming.
A new author for me but a book I would highly recommend.

I absolutely love to discover new authors and Jackie Walsh is certainly a new author for me. Having enjoyed reading 'The Secrets He Kept' as much as I did, I will most definitely be reading more of Jackie's work in the future. I absolutely LOVED reading 'The Secrets He Kept' but more about that in a bit.
I can't really say that I took to Sally or warmed to her in any way. That said I did feel quite sorry for her. She has what outwardly appears to be the perfect life. She has a husband and she has three gorgeous children. There's a bit of an age gap between the eldest child and the twins but that doesn't really bother her. It's clear that something happened earlier on in the marriage and Sally was left to mop up the damage as it were. We don't get to find out what it is straightaway. Sally and her husband Tom seem to have been relatively happy since then. However that all changes following an intriguing discovery. Sally sees a picture of her husband with his arm round a young lad whilst she is styling somebody's hair. Sally asks who the man is and it turns out that he is the father of the customer's boyfriend. Well as you can imagine this turns everything that Sally had believed to be true upside down and back to front. Sally doesn't know who or what to believe, but she sets out to find out what the truth about her husband really is. What does Sally find out? Is Tom who he claims to be? Is there a twist to the tale? Well for the answers to those questions and so much more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
OMG, I was hooked on this book from the synopsis alone and reading 'The Secrets He Kept' soon became an addiction. I would pick up the book only intending to read a couple of chapters but I would still be sat there reading over an hour later and I had read far more than any couple of chapters. I had my own suspicions as to what the truth was but I had to keep reading to discover if my suspicions were correct or otherwise. The pages turned increasingly quickly as my desperation to find out the truth steadily grew and grew. At one point the pages were turning that quickly that the page numbers became a blur. I reached the end of 'The Secrets He Kept' far quicker than I had anticipated or wanted. I don't mean that in a negative way. I was enjoying the author's writing style, the characters and the storylines so much that I just didn't want the book to end. For me, 'The Secrets He Kept' really is an unputdownable page turner of a book.
'The Secrets He Kept' really is brilliantly written. Jackie certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and once she has your attention she will not let it go until the moment you close the back cover of the book. Jackie certainly knows how to mess with your head a bit and she certainly kept me guessing. I was gripped by the story and on the edge of my seat throughout the book. Jackie uses such vivid and powerful descriptions that I really did feel as though I was part of the story. I found that I was getting far too involved with the story at times. I was all for jumping inside the pages of the book to chase Tom with a pair of blunt and rusty scissors. See I told you I was getting far too involved.
Reading 'The Secrets He Kept' was much like being on a rather scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with more twists and turns than you would find on a 'Snakes & Ladders' board. There were several times where I almost had to read through my fingers as I feared what was going to happen next.
In short, 'The Secrets He Kept' really is a brilliant, unputdownable, page turner of a book, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. Now I know how fantastic a writer Jackie is, I will definitely be reading more of her work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

The day that Sally Cooper`s secure life was shattered into a million tiny pieces started like every other working day. It began with the predictable mad rush to get her three children out of bed,fed and ready for their day and then it was time for Sally`s transformation from wife and mother to Sally the Hairdresser. Sally loved her job,it gave her the opportunity to have a break from the responsibilities of being a mother. She loved laughing and interacting with her work colleagues and their customers. All was perfect in Sally`s world until her first customer of the day showed her a picture of her boyfriend and his father. Sally is shocked and astonished when she realises that the man looks uncannily like her husband Tom.

Sally finds herself facing a impossible dilemma,should she confront Tom, find out the truth or keep her contented life? Sally is about to discover that even those closest to us have secrets....and that sometimes the truth is the last thing we want to hear.

This fast paced,enthralling thriller is mainly voiced from Sally`s point of view and the reader is launched into the action from the end of the first chapter. Despite her having some redeemable qualities,I can't say that I thought Sally was a very likeable character. But who can honestly say how they would react if they found themselves facing the same dilemmas as she did. I most definitely didn't like her selfish,deceitful,lying,scumbag of a husband. I loved the mixed bag of diverse personalities who worked with Sally at the hairdressers and Elsie, the homeless lady who sat outside the shop. I loved how they all sprang into action when Sally needed their help.

The Secrets He Kept is packed full of twists and turns and many of the chapters ended on a cliff-hanger,giving the reader a very bad case of Just one more chapter syndrome. It's a very well written mix of domestic drama,intrigue,thriller and murder mystery that hooks the reader in from the first page,keeps you guessing and frantically turning the pages. I loved this fast paced,page turner and didn't want to put it down. I would love to watch a film adaptation of this thrilling story. Very very highly recommended.

The premise of this book caught my eye, and it was certainly suspenseful. Lots of twists and chapters that leave you wondering what will happen next. The ending was a bit predictable but perhaps after reading thousands of books it is getting harder for me to read something different, therefore this did not detract from my enjoyment.

Wow -- this was a roller coaster ride filled with tension and suspense -- I started it late this evening and couldn't put it down until I reached the end!

What if your husband had a huge secret and you found out while at work one day? That's what happens to Sally Cooper. She sees a picture of her darling husband, Tom, the father of her 3 children, with his arms around a teenaged boy. A stranger. The customer who's showing the picture says that it's her boyfriend and his dad. HIS DAD???? Tom has a son? In shock, Sally goes home to confront Tom and that's when her nightmare begins. NO SPOILERS.

The story kicks off quickly and it doesn't let up as there are surprises with nearly every turn of the page. The characters draw you in and you start guessing about where this might be going. Secrets and lies in a family never turn out to be good things, do they? Filled with drama, the narrative keeps the adrenalin pumped until the shattering conclusion. I really enjoyed this psychological thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hera Books for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.

I binged on this book and finished it in just one day. I really enjoyed reading this one. This gripped me from the very beginning, Sally appears to have the perfect life. That is until a client reveals her husband has secrets she is completely unaware of. A huge thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for this ARC. I can’t wait to read more by this author. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley and Hera books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While Sally is doing a teenager's hair in the salon where she works, the girl shows her a picture of her boyfriend and his father. The father is Sally's husband Tom. The only problem is Tom doesn't have other kids, or so Sally thought. Turns out Tom has been hiding things and so have some other people.

This was a good quick read. There wasn't really anything earth shattering here, but I enjoyed the book. I really like Sally as the narrator because she was very direct and believable. I loved her perspective on things. I would read more from this author.

I really enjoyed this book! Well written, held my interest. Thanks to Hera books and NetGalley for allowing me an arc to this book in exchange for an honest review. I don’t want to reveal too much, but the gist of the story is a hairstylist with a husband and kids and a happy life. A walk-in chatting with the stylist mentions her boyfriend and shows her a pic of him and his dad. The father is the stylist’s husband!!!

When Sally discovers her husband has been keeping a big secret from her, she begins to question how well she knows her spouse of 16 years. As her unease and questions mount, Sally attempts to get to the bottom of his increasing deceit. This is the premise behind The Secrets He Kept, an impressive and compulsive domestic thriller.

I found this to be a quick read and interesting in a 'rubbernecker' kind of way as the reader witnesses the implosion of a family that once had strong ties. Sally is the main character who is trying to make sense of her husband's deceit and keep her family together. Readers will sympathize with her but may feel frustrated at her initial naïveté as she tries to explain away her husband's growing lies until she can not longer ignore the truth.

As the lies increase, so does the tension making this a hard to put down book. As an avid reader of this genre, I had a few suspicions but soon guessed the big secret. Even so, the journey to the end of this thriller was enjoyable and I was impressed by its twists, growing tension and satisfying ending.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for providing me with a complimentary digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Sally is a hairdresser, going through the motions each day of going to work and raising 3 kids with her husband Tom. Until one day at the salon, a young girl walks in for an appointment and changes Sally life forever..

Suddenly she is staring at a picture of her husband and his “son” that she had no idea existed.. And we’re taken on a journey with Sally as she finds out the truth about her husband’s, and everyone else’s, lies.

This was a quick, twisty read! I enjoyed Jackie’s Walsh’s writing style and especially enjoyed the smart remarks edged into the suspense. An edgy, domestic suspense novel that will have you wondering about who’s the better liar.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jackie Walsh and Hera Books for an #egalley in exchange for an honest review.

#JackieWalshh #TheSecretsHeKept #NetGalley

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really enjoyed this book and was totally gripped from the beginning. This was full of suspense. A worthy 4 stars

Chilling in places! The hook of this book made me request it, and I was glad I did. Fast paced, with plenty of twists and turns. It fooled me! Thoroughly enjoyed this book, and will definitely read more.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I liked the plot, well written and really gripping.

This is the first book that I have read by Jackie and it won’t be my last. Wow what a well written, gripping and hard-hitting read.

Twists and turns within every page turn, I will be looking at Jackie’s other books and will definitely keep an eye open for future books.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hera books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Read this one in one sitting. Was a good solid read. Glad I got approved to read it.
Wow what an intense and suspenseful read! The Secrets He Kept grabs you right from the start and doesn’t let go till the final page, where it all wraps up with an ending that you don't expect. I still get chills when I think about it. It is addictive, thrilling with twists and turns that keep you second guessing everything, which are the perfect ingredients for a great psychological thriller. Loved it

The Secrets He Kept by Jackie Walsh is a wonderful psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Hera Books, and the author for providing me with a complimentary digital copy of this novel. This review was written voluntarily.

Sally Cooper, happily married to Tom, has a dream life. They have three contented and lovely children - twin three-year-old boys, named Cian and Aaron and a fifteen-year-old daughter, Amber. One day, at the hairdressers where Sally works as a stylist, her first client shows her a family photograph; one that causes Sally to collapse in shock. In one abominable instant, Sally discovers that Tom has been hiding an explosive secret – one that could tear apart the life they’ve built together. So, faced with an impossible dilemma - search for the truth, or keep her contented life – which will Sally choose? She is about to discover that even those closest to us have secrets, and that sometimes the truth is the last thing anyone wants to hear.

The characters in this story are perfect blend of likeable and detestable. I really bonded with Sally and could feel her anguish when she realised the guy she held on in such high esteem throughout their marriage, was not the man she thought him to be. I did not care for the character of Tom, but this did not affect my enjoyment of the story, as he had a great part to play.

I appreciated the easy writing style of Jackie Walsh and her ability to catch my attention right from the start of the novel. With an expertly built and gradually intensifying level of apprehension throughout, the author then cleverly added another dimension as she steered the story in a more sinister direction. This hauntingly devastating tale of betrayal and secrecy was expertly delivered, bringing with it no let-downs, and everything was well-wrapped up in the satisfying and fulfilling finale.

A riveting, stellar psychological thriller that I'm delighted to recommend.

WOW! This was one intriguing read!

I didn't know what to expect from this book, but THE SECRETS HE KEPT by Jackie Walsh was so fast paced it had me gripped from the beginning till the very end. Believe me, this one will keep you guessing until very final page.

What if your husband had a secret so huge that when you discovered it, you questioned its validity as well as your husband at the same time? This is what happens to Sally Cooper while at work one day. She thought she had a good life, happily married to Tom with three wonderful children - 15 year old Amber and 3 year old twin boys, Cian and Aaron. But Tom has already let her down before...when he invested £16,000 of her hard earned money into a "sure-fire" scheme that not only lost the lot, but left them owing money to the debtor Tom also took loans out with. So Sally, who would rather have been at home with her twin boys, went back out to work as a hairdresser to pay the debts and make ends meet.

Sally is at work one morning when a walk-in requests a shampoo and style for her boyfriend's party that night. The teenager flicking through her phone as Sally works shows her a photo of her boyfriend Kenny. But Sally isn't looking at Kenny. She is staring at the man beside him with his arm around the teenaged boy...her husband Tom. The girl tells her it is Kenny's dad. His dad?? But Tom doesn't have a teenage son...does he?

In shock, Sally collapses and wakes in the staffroom to her concerned colleagues. She assures them she's fine and that she must finish Charlie's hair. But Charlie, the teenage girl, has gone...and along with her any answers to Sally's questions.

Suddenly, Sally's life begins to shatter as she begins to question everything about her husband of 16 years and just how well she knows him. The words fall out of her mouth before she can stop them as she asks Tom if he has a son. His answer? Vague in many ways, but the inference was there - no. But then Sally starts to see her husband in a different light. She hears him on the phone in the middle of the night. And then he fails to show for their twin boys' 3rd birthday party, claiming the excuse of helping a friend out whose car broke down. But Sally isn't so sure. How many secrets is Tom keeping from her?

The next day the talk in the salon is about the murder in Sycamore Gardens, an estate close by. Sally pays little attention to it, too busy mulling over the secrets her husband could be keeping. Until one night Tom hits her with a bombshell. He has a son. His mother has just been murdered and as his only living relative and next of kin, Kenny is to come and live with them. That murder in the news...Kenny's mum. No, no, no...Sally screams. He is NOT living there! They know nothing about him and they have a 15 year old daughter to consider. On the one hand Tom agrees with her but then she discovers he also agrees with the social worker - Kenny is to come and live with them. Whose side is Tom on? And what else is he hiding?

As Sally's life begins to implode with the arrival of the polite but guarded Kenny, the moody outbursts from Amber and the realisation that one of her boys is not developing as well as his brother. Not to mention the fact that her husband is being more than economical with the truth. Her one place of solace is work. So when the girls at the salon are all talking about the murder with their thoughts that maybe the boy's father did it, Sally remains tight-lipped. All the while she continues to question Tom's actions, his lies and deceit, and wonders the possibility herself.

As the lies increase, so does the tension making this one intense and unputdownable book. There are surprises with nearly every page as the reader attempts to guess where everything might lead.

I didn't much like Tom, and his loose relationship with the truth, as I didn't see why all the big secrecy around something that could have been properly addressed at the time. And yet, he continued to tell only half-truths...even when caught out. I liked Sally, surprisingly, as female leads tend to annoy me despite my love of this genre. As the reader, you feel almost sorry for the predicament she finds herself in through no fault of her own...but her sorry excuse for a husband. I love how she isn't the strong storming heroine type, but just your regular woman next door, trying to keep her family together through an incredibly difficult situation. I was suitably impressed with Amber...for a 15 year old, she was just the right mix of moody and considerate. The twins? Everyone goes all gooey over children...but I don't. So I could well do without them. As for the many other characters? They were a great mix that added the perfect amount of friendship and tension where needed.

My favourite part of the book was the Epilogue. It was epic. It was so well done and so very clever, it was the best ending I have encountered. The progression of the story left you wondering where it was all going to end that the conclusion, when it came, was suitably shocking to say the least. But the best, by far.

A well-written psychological drama, that is not really a thriller as such, THE SECRETS HE KEPT is filled with tension, suspense and plenty of secrets and lies to keep you guessing and turning the pages.

Prepare to stay up well into the night with this one as THE SECRETS HE KEPT will have your adrenaline going with every twist, every secret, every page, every chapter...that you will be riveted to the very end.

A masterful tale that is incredibly well-crafted, THE SECRETS HE KEPT is a fantastic compelling read that will have you suitably intrigued as every secret is slowly unveiled until that shocking conclusion. Highly recommend!!

I would like to thank #JackieWalsh, #NetGalley and #HeraBooks for an ARC of #TheSecretsHeKept in exchange for an honest review.

This book was exactly what I expected it would be. Fast paced, gripping and just a good read.
I think most people can picture themselves in this situation. We all think we know the people we love, we trust them with everything, including our lives.
It was very confronting and really makes you think about the secrets we all keep from each other and if you can really trust someone completely.
And because it made me think about these kind of things, I find this was a really good book. And I would absolutely recommend this book to people who love this genre.

I had high expectations from The Secrets He Kept after hearing great things about Perfect Stranger earlier this year. Was I mistaken in this mindset? Hell no!!!

From the point Sally was shown the photo of Tom, I felt her life slowly begin to crumble and there was nothing she could do to stop it. Day by day, Sally was gradually losing control of her already fragile family life as circumstances change beyond her control. What can she do to keep her family together?

As the book developed, I didn’t know where I was going or who to trust within this family unit. And the heart-tightening climax for any parent to experience 😱😱😱 By the end of the book, I’d been through an emotional mill!

The Secrets He Kept is a well written very tense domestic noir that had me hooked from the moment Sally was shown that photo. I’ll be digging out Perfect Strangers from mount TBR before long!

The Secrets He Kept By Jackie Walsh was Just Brilliant throughout. This book is full of suspense, with lots of twist and turns throughout that will have you gripped from the very beginning of this new gripping psychological thriller and has a brilliant nail-biting ending.

Sally, is 37 and is a loving wife to her husband Tom and they have a 15 year old daughter called Amber, a set of twins called Cian and Aaron who are three years old. Sally has a job she loves in the local salon as a stylist and juggles her home life with her job.
Sally goes to work, it's a normal day in the Salon............Until someone who came off the streets without an appointment for a quick blow dry etc for an important event that evening, she wants to look nice for her boyfriend tonight.
Whilst Sally is talking to this young girl, she shows her an innocent family photo on her phone. Innocent it may be, but Sally World comes crashing round her, the person in the photo is her husband she loves with his arm around another young lad. This causes Sally to collapse in shock.

Before Sally could ask the young girl more about the photo the young girl has left the salon. Confused and Shocked Sally doesn't know what to do.

What is her Husband Tom hiding?

Has he got a double life? How does he fit it in with work, home life etc?

Who is the Young lad? He must be the roughly the same age as their daughter Amber!

Is it Tom's son?

OMG! You will need to read this book.

I highly recommend this Brilliant book. The ending will have you shocked.

Big Thank you to JackieWalsh, NetGalley and HeraBooks for an ARC of The Secrets He Kept in exchange for an honest review.

Sally works as a hairdresser, where she meets all kinds of different people, like the homeless woman who sits outside her shop, Elise. When one of Sally's clients shows her a picture of her boyfriend and his father Sally's world is blow apart. Because the father is also Sally's husband....so erm, wtf?

So Sally's husband Tom has been hiding secrets, and hence the book addresses the impossible dilemma - should she confront Tom to find out the truth? Or should she play oblivious and continue forward content in her life. What would we do?

The Secrets He Kept is a fast paced thriller, mainly voiced from Sally`s point of view and is packed full of twists and turns and many of the chapters ended on a cliff-hanger which adds to the suspense. I highly recommend this book and thank the author and netgalley for the ADR in exchange for an honest review

The Secrets He Kept was a well plotted thriller that I raced through.
Sally is a hairdresser and this whole book is based around what she saw. Sally was sorting a teenage girls hair out when the girl shows her a photo of herself with her boyfriend and his dad, when sally looks she is horrified to see that the dad in the picture is her husband, Tom, but this can’t be true they have a daughter together that is around the same age as this boy. Sally convinces herself that it wasn’t Tom, it was just someone who looked like him. Sally says nothing when she gets home but it festers inside her and when she asks Tom if he has another son his answer is the start of the rollercoaster of lies she finds he has and is telling.
I enjoyed this book from beginning to end, at times I felt sorry for sally but other times I could have shaken her as in my book she let Tom get away with waaaaay to much and he would have been in the dog house for a lot longer with me with the lies he told.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Hera Books for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

This was a well written, original, and riveting read! Highly recommend to those who love books that seem very realistic and really make you think about what you would do! Grab your copy today, give it a read! You won’t be disappointed in this riveting read!
Will make sure I buzz it up!

This was the first book i read by this author and won't be the last. Very interesting from the get go. It starts off with a quick pace and keeps going from there, Sally's character is very relatable and you feel for her. It is hard to fathom why she puts up with Tom and his behavior. I cant imagine 2 adults being ok with such a relationship. Sally is too trusting and gives Tom too much benefit of doubt. There are many twists and the book keeps you involved. Great read overall.

This is a fast paced, gripping thriller with so many secrets. It isn't until the very end that all the questions are answered. Highly recommended

I enjoyed this book. The author catches your attention right from the start with a few red herrings along the way, to the final reveal, made this very readable.

I really enjoyed this book so much. It has a really great plot, superb main characters and I read it in one sitting. I would highly recommend this book.

Review for 'The secrets he kept' by Jackie Walsh
Read and reviewed via NetGalley

You know everything about your husband. Don’t you?

He loves you. He loves your children. He’d never put his family in danger.

One of these is a lie.

It started like any other day at the hairdressers where Sally works as a stylist… until her first client innocently shows her a family photograph; a photograph that causes Sally to collapse in shock.

In one moment, Sally discovers that Tom has been hiding an explosive secret – one that could tear apart the life they’ve built together. Faced with an impossible dilemma - search for the truth, or keep her contented life? – Sally is about to discover that even those closest to us have secrets… and that sometimes the truth is the last thing we want to hear.

I've just finished reading this novel and it's the first time I have read anything from this author, hopefully it won't be the last!! This book grabbed my attention from start to finish and is a true page turner. I enjoyed the fact that the chapters are quite short so you can get a few extra in before bed. The book was very well written and the characters were all strong and realistic. I love the fact that it is based in the UK (always a bonus for me). It is an excellent psychological thriller that kept me second guessing throughout although I did have a suspicion about the ending. I thought it was excellent that at the end of the book you get to see what happened through the eyes of the suspects. I highly recommend this book to fans of suspense, thrillers, psychological books, crime, murder, mystery and anyone looking for a good book in general. It was just the right length and wrapped the story up nicely at the end with no dull moments in between.
Rated 5/5 on Goodreads and Amazon

This book is very engaging and intriguing. It had a very fast pace and many unexpected twists! It is a great novel for anyone who loves thrillers!

This was a book written by a new author to me and I will certainly be looking to read more books by her. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Sally seems to have it all. A loving husband Tom, a teenage daughter and young twin boys, Sally’s life is chaotic and she loves her part time job as a hairdresser. Whilst doing her hair, one of her customers showed her a photo on her phone and Sally’s world fell apart. The photo was of the girl’s boyfriend with his father, who Sally realises looks identical to Tom. Sally is then determined to find out the truth as to whether the boy in the photo is Tom’s son who she knew nothing about. She realises that she doesn’t really know the man she has shared her life with. What can she do? Does she stay silent and carry on with her life or will she confront him and throw him out? Then when the boy’s mother is found murdered everyone is a suspect. This is a story full of secrets and lies with an unexpected twist at the end. A highly recommended read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Hera Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Sally is a hairdresser while blow drying a young girls hair the young girl shows Sally a photo of her boyfriend but standing at the side of him is Sally’s husband Tom the girl tells her it’s his father.
Sally’s world is collapsing how could her husband do this and what other secrets has he been keeping from her.
The boy turns out to be called Kenny. Tom got his mum pregnant before Tom & Sally got too serious
Then Kenny’s mum gets murdered
Who killed her did Tom have something to do with it?
Thanks NetGalley

Imagine the discovery that your husband is hiding many secrets...that is just the beginning. This was a very good psychological thriller that kept me flipping pages til the end. It was like a train wreck; I couldn’t look away.
Many thanks to Hera Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Fabulous book that I read over two days. The title give the impression that the story is all about a lying husband, but there is so much more to it. Sally is married to Tom and live happily with their 3 children. Tom has made a stupid mistake in the past but they carried on as best they could. One day Sally sees a photo that turns their world upside down. A sad, shocking story unfolds revealing secrets held by those closest to them. This is the first book I’ve read by Jackie Walsh and I enjoyed it immensely, I’ll be reading more from her. Great book.

I really enjoyed reading this book, the plot was fantastic and the characters were great. It was a right page turner, I couldn’t put it down. The first book I have read by this author, I will be keeping my eye out for more books in the future.. I highly recommend this book for people who enjoy reading psychological thrillers.
Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read. The storyline kept a good pace and kept me guessing until the end. I recommend to any fan of psychological thrillers. My thanks to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a well-written, gripping thriller that was hard to put down. The characters are well rounded and there are twists throughout. I found it was difficult to ever get comfortable trusting what anyone was saying or their motivations as more and more secrets came out.

This story just never stopped surprising me! Sally is working in the hair salon one day, when a girl comes in and shows her a picture on her phone that sets her world into a whirlwind spiral. Her husband is next to a boy who this girl claims is his father. Then, the boys mother ends up murdered.
All of this unravels as she is trying to just wrap her mind around the thought of her husband having another child. With one crazy step after another, the mystery never stops. This kept me on my toes the entire time!

Tense chilling I was drawn right in.A multilayered thriller that had many surprises twists and turns.Really enjoyed this book.#herabooks#netgalley

"You know everything about your husband. Don't you?
He loves you. He loves your children. He'd never put his family in danger.

One of these is a lie."

I don't want to give away the story, but there are twists and turns that keep you reading. It was gripping thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy for an honest review.

This is the first book I have read from this author. A good read believable characters and plenty of twists and turns with an unexpected ending. Recommended.

This was a bit of a mixed bag for me! I loved the writing style, I loved the cliff hangers at the end of chapters, however I really didn’t like sally! When she is shown a photograph at work of her husband with his arms round a young boy, and told he was the boys father, Sally’s whole world unravels!
There were many twists that kept my interest, despite my frustration at Sally! A solid 3.5 rounded up to a 4 because it was so well written!

One of those books you can read on the tube, at night or when have a spare 10 minutes, come back to and fall straight back in.

A gripping, entertaining novel that begs the question - do you truly know the people in your life? Can one truly know their wife/husband? Their friends?

I love a good domestic thriller and this book did not disappoint. I love a good book that keeps you hooked to the very end, and is filled with lies, secrets and betrayal and there is plenty of that in this novel.

Definitely one you'll want to read.

My thanks to Netgalley and Hera for a copy of “ The Secrets He Kept “ for an honest review.

I loved this book and found it hard to put down !
This was a real page turner that had me gripped from the start. The characters were well rounded and I really cared about the story outcome ,which kept me guessing right to the end.
Will be a definite recommended read to add to my list .